Police halt Brough conspiracy investigation over Slipper case

Judith Ireland1 Mar 2013, 6:32 a.m.

The Australian Federal Police have suspended their initial review of political conspiracy allegations against the former Howard government minister Mal Brough. The Queensland Labor MP Graham Perrett wrote to federal police late last year, alleging Mr Brough and a former political aide, James Ashby - as well as other Coalition figures - may have taken part in a ''political conspiracy'' to harm the former speaker Peter Slipper and the Labor government. The Federal Court threw out a case brought by Mr Ashby against Mr Slipper in December. In a scathing judgment, Justice Steven Rares found the case was an ''abuse of process'' which had been carried out for the ''purpose of causing significant public, reputational and political damage to Mr Slipper''.

The Australian Federal Police have suspended their initial review of political conspiracy allegations against the former Howard government minister Mal Brough. The Queensland Labor MP Graham Perrett wrote to federal police late last year, alleging Mr Brough and a former political aide, James Ashby - as well as other Coalition figures - may have taken part in a ''political conspiracy'' to harm the former speaker Peter Slipper and the Labor government. The Federal Court threw out a case brought by Mr Ashby against Mr Slipper in December. In a scathing judgment, Justice Steven Rares found the case was an ''abuse of process'' which had been carried out for the ''purpose of causing significant public, reputational and political damage to Mr Slipper''.